this moment

12/11/2014

I had the incredible fortune of meeting Tara Morris in September at Squam. She taught a beautiful (and super fun) day-long photography class, which she'll be doing again.

Meeting Tara was like, "Oh, hey there old friend, are you my sister from a past life? Because this is so weird, since I feel like I've known you forever but it's only been four days."

As we split a bottle of wine and lay on our backs by the lake looking up at the sky full of stars, Tara learned more about me -- my hopes, my dreams, my fears -- than many people who've known me for years. She just evokes that kind of immediate trust. And she's funny as shit. Which is one of the things that makes her an extremely gifted photographer: being with her makes you want to open up, makes you feel safe enough to be seen, because you intuit that she's got you, she's really got you.

The first thing Tara asked me when we met was how I got interested in photography. The first thing I said back to her was, "So that I wouldn't kill my children." I was straight serious, and she knew I was serious, so of course we busted out laughing.

I explained that when I'm at home with three small children tearing up my house, generating endless piles of laundry, and demanding my constant attention for their ceaseless needs, the camera becomes my meditation. Through the lens, I pause. I see the way the frozen blueberry juice is dripping down Bee's feet, the light reflecting off the purple drips just so. *snap-click!* I see the way Buddy Boy has smeared peanut butter with his hands all over the storm door window, the way the sunlight shines right through. *snap-click!*. Through my camera, I can find the beauty that eludes me during these otherwise mundane (and generally exhausting) moments of everyday life with three young children.

When Tara offered to do a family photo session with us last month it took me .5 seconds to say "YES!!" My kids trusted her immediately (which they rarely do with "strangers"), and she genuinely captured them in the natural, beautiful ways that they are: messy, adorable, vivacious, mischievous, little lovers of love.

Having her in our home was such a joy, and the photographs she took will be treasured by our family forever.

Welcome

Greetings from Providence! I'm Jennifer, working mom of twins + 1. I'm also a writer, educator, activist, seeker, aspiring photographer and maker of things. I juggle multiple realities all the time and this is where I share about it. Thanks for stopping by!